After the Bartholomew’s Day service and commemoration in the Transylvanian Szék (be sure to check this post if you haven’t yet done so!) we climb up to Felszeg, “the Upper Quarter”, to see the houses that fell into ruin in last July, and then descend to the market place to see in person – although we have already saw in photo – how our friends proceed with the building of their new house.

A brief summary of what we wrote about several times here,here and here. The incessant rains in last June repeatedly flooded the streets of Szék laying in the valley. At the same time the water rushing down the hillside also loosened the soil of the slope, and started a landslide in Felszeg which resulted in the collapse of six houses. The local press reported in detail about the catastrophe, illustrating with some photos the situation.

The signs of the landslide in Felszeg a few days ago. After demolishing the house the sight is not as frightening as one year ago, with the walls in ruins

Our friends with two school-girls who remained without shelter could not hope for help from anywhere. The great deputy mayor of the town tried to gain some support through his contacts, but in the midst of the round-the-clock saving operations he got a heart attack and died. On receiving news of the disaster we announced a collection for the rebuilding here at Río Wang, and during the following months our readers gave together 2056 euros in all. This sum made it possible to our friends to buy a building site in the town – because on the plots slid it is forbidden to build any more, but they receive no compensation instead – and to start a new house. Meanwhile, someone managed to obtain some state support in the form of a limited amount of brick, cement and timber, but it would not have been enough for the building of a new house without the help of our readers, even if the material of the collapsed house was gradually demolished and built into the new one, and the stonemason head of the family, János was building it all alone while the rest of the family were earning for the rest of the materials: the wife, Rózsi undertaking housecleaning in Budapest, and the two girls, living with the grandparents, serving after school as auxiliary waiters in the local restaurant.

Until the winter they could pull up the walls and the top ring, and in March, after the thaw to set up the roof which is now covered with a plastic foil in lack of tiles. One of the two small rooms have already been made habitable, and even cozy, and they painted the walls of the other. The gas stove already works in the kitchen, but electricity, water and heating are not yet in the house. The work is suspended now: János is trying to earn the money for the additional materials as a mason in Cluj.

A watch-house there is already, even if no real house to watch

The future place of the entrance door and the kitchen

To welcome the guests there is always place in Transylvania

The pride of the house: the room which is already furnished with the furniture of the old house. The father of Rózsi, at whom the girls live now

The bathroom has yet to be equipped

The loft…

…and the roof

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Rózsi and János estimate that at least a thousand and five hundred euros would be necessary to make the house habitable also for the winter – which in Szék arrives in October – so that they should not spend also this winter scattered at relatives. And we, trusting in the already experienced generosity of our readers, ask you to help, no matter how little you can give. With the included PayPal button you can send money from a credit card to the account opened for them, but we also send an account number for bank transfer on request. We thank for any help in advance.

We have already written, that 24 August, St. Bartholomew’s Day is a day of mourning not only for the Calvinists of France, but also for those of Szék (Sic, in Romania). In 1717 the Tatars devastating all northern Transylvania, after having found the gates of the rich neighboring Armenian town Szamosújvár/Gherla closed, compensated themselves with the town of Szék. They sacked the town and killed or deported the bulk of its inhabitants, leaving only a hundred survivors. Their offspring have ever since worn black, and made a vow to remember the tragedy with three penitential services on this day.

The second service at noon is for the remembrance. The pastor reads the report of the chronicle of 1759 and the testimonies of the investigation of 1771.

Tamás István, 57 year old, says. I was also abducted, along with other people from Szék, at the dam of Kaján. My father was slain. Many of them are still over there, in pagan hands.

Balog György says that 700 people were abducted from Szék. He heard it from his father and from the old Pószás Miklós of Russian origins.

Sipos István, 70 year old, says. My father was abducted together with others.

Molnár Mihály, 68 year old, says. A great many of those of Szék were abducted. Hardly a hundred were left, children included.

Nemes Kis Erzsébet, widow of Havadi András, 76 year old, says. I was also abducted along with others by the pagans, I remember of having been abducted together with a hundred and forty, of whom I only know four who were later set free.

Havadi András, 43 year old, says. I know very well that a large number of persons were abducted, for I still have a list of a part of them, 86 in number, who have never returned. Havadi Klára was abducted at the age of 2, and brought back to Szék at the age of 3 years and 6 months. She died in 1768.

Csorba Benedek, 65 year old, says. Towards the end of August 1717 the Tatars, having broken in through the valley of Beszterce/Bistriţa, have also wounded me and brought me to Máramaros/Maramureş. I was ransomed two weeks later, but my sister was taken away forever together with other persons of whom only a very few were set free.

Faragó or Balásfi István: I know that many were abducted. I was got back from the Tatar’s hand by my father around the border of Szék.

Árkosi Borbála, 73 year old. As a little girl I was sitting on the hillside of the church, and I saw how the charters were destroyed. The pastor was left alive, but in underpants only. Faragó György was slain, and I was abducted, too. I was ransomed eleven days later.

Kovács Márton: I watched from the hill how the church was ravaged and the charters destroyed by the Tatars. They broke in the door of the church, the people was running towards Káján, but at the Dam they reached them and abducted a great many of them.

Sós Pál, 78 year old. My wife, Bárdos Erzsébet was also abducted, and more than 600 together with her.

After the service I suggest that six years later, for the three hundredth anniversary it would be good to invite the representatives of the Tatars for reconciliation, we have the contacts for that. My hosts just shake their heads. “It’s too early yet”, they say.

The royal doors of the former Greek Catholic wooden church of Kurimka (in Rusyn Havryanets) in Bardejov, in the Šariš Icon Museum. A sign of life from our journey in the Rusyn land, having a momentary access to internet. A few days later we’ll be back online again.